CHICAGO (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong reached five times on two hits and three walks, helping the Chicago Cubs beat Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers 11-2 on Tuesday night.
Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly each drove in two runs, and Michael Conforto connected for a two-run homer. Dansby Swanson had two hits and scored three times.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
Dillon Dingler hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning for Detroit, which had won three of four. The All-Star catcher went deep twice on Monday night.
Valdez (5-7) recorded just two outs in his first start since July 9. It also was the first outing for the left-hander since a stint on the bereavement list following the death of his maternal grandmother.
Crow-Armstrong tripled and scored on Kelly’s two-run single in Chicago’s six-run first. Crow-Armstrong also forced home a run with a bases-loaded walk before Valdez was replaced by Ty Madden.
It was more than enough for David Peterson (5-7), who pitched 6 2/3 innings of three-hit ball for Chicago. The left-hander struck out four and walked one.
Peterson was acquired in with the New York Mets. The lefty surrendered 10 runs in his second start with the Cubs, but he has allowed three runs in 17 1/3 innings over his other three starts with his new team.
Crow-Armstrong added an RBI single in the third, and Conforto hit his ninth homer in the fifth against Brenan Hanifee. It was Conforto’s fourth pinch-hit homer of the year, tying Glenallen Hill in 1999 for the most by a Cubs player since at least 1901.
Madden provided a boost for by pitching 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Infielder Zach McKinstry and catcher Jake Rogers each got three outs for the Tigers.
Up next
Keider Montero (6-5, 3.22 ERA) starts for Detroit in the series finale on Wednesday night, and fellow right-hander Colin Rea (7-6, 4.74 ERA) pitches for Chicago.
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